Rules and Regulations
ITALIAN CONTEST
- The Italian Contest is divided into two categories: Italian Feature-Length Contest, reserved for documentaries over 50 minutes in length, and New Talent – First Work Contest, dedicated to first-time works with no duration limit.
- Only documentaries completed after January 1, 2024, are eligible for the Italian Contest.
- Submitted works must be national premieres. The following are excluded: those that have had public screenings, television broadcasts, or web streaming in Italy; and those that have taken part in national festivals.
- The Italian Contest is reserved for independent Italian productions, defined as follows: productions where at least 50% of the funding comes from Italian sources; minority Italian co-productions, provided the director is of Italian nationality.
Note: “Independent productions” are defined as productions that are not fully commissioned by broadcasters.
Language and Subtitles:
Submitted documentaries must be in Italian with English subtitles. If the film (or parts of it) is in dialect or a language other than Italian, both Italian and English subtitles are mandatory. The production of the subtitles (in both languages) is the responsibility of the participating production company; failure to provide subtitles will result in disqualification from the contest.
INTERNATIONAL CONTEST
- The International Contest is open to feature-length documentaries that explore the globalized world, highlighting stark contrasts, extraordinary characters, alternative models, captivating collective actions, non-violent rebellions, and stories of hope. Universal or specific narratives are welcome, spanning across various genres and tones, from drama to comedy.
- International documentaries over 65 minutes in length, completed after January 1, 2024, are eligible to participate.
- International documentaries are defined as those: produced outside of Italy; directed by non-Italian filmmakers; where more than 50% of the funding comes from non-Italian sources.
- Submitted documentaries must be Italian premieres. Visioni dal Mondo will not accept works that have had public screenings in Italy; have been broadcast on Italian television or distributed online in Italy; have been presented at other national festivals.
Language and Subtitles:
Documentaries must be in English or, if in another original language, must include English subtitles. The participating production company is responsible for providing English subtitles. While Italian subtitles are appreciated, they are not mandatory. The festival will ensure that selected titles are screened with Italian subtitles specially created for the event.
Prizes, Awards and Jury
The Festival Management appoints:
- Official Jury for Italian Feature-Length Documentaries, responsible for awarding the Visioni dal Mondo Award – Italian Feature-Length Contest with a prize of €5,000.
- Young Students Jury, composed of students, responsible for awarding the Visioni dal Mondo Award – New Talent with a prize of €2,500.
- International Jury, responsible for awarding the Visioni dal Mondo Award – International Contest with a prize of €3,000 to the winner of the international contest.
Italian feature-length documentaries in competition will also be eligible for the Rai Cinema Award, dedicated to Franco Scaglia, which includes the acquisition of television rights for Rai channels.
The Festival Management reserves the right to introduce additional awards and juries for the 2025 edition.
Prizes will be awarded to the directors of the winning films.
Award-winning documentaries, including those receiving special mentions, must display the Visioni dal Mondo’s official laurel or logo in the opening credits and in all promotional materials. The Festival Secretariat will provide the official logos.
Entry Procedures and requirements
Every film must be submitted through the online registration procedure ‘ENTRY FORM’ available on this site.
- Here you can fill out the Entry Form Italian Contest 2025
- Here you can fill out the Entry Form International Contest 2025
Those who want to participate in the competition must, no later than May 31, 2025, complete the ENTRY FORM following the procedures indicated and sending the relative materials requested in the entry form. The link and password must remain open and active at least until the end of the Festival.
Participants will be notified of their selection by June 30, 2025.
The entry will be accepted if all the requested materials and information are received within the required deadlines. After completing the entry form you will receive a confirmation email. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
No screeners or application material will be returned.
Submission fees
Submission fee for the Italian contest preselection is 30 euros Vat included.
Submission fee for the International contest preselection is 30 euros.
The fee covers the administrative expenses related to cataloguing and previewing each film.
The fee covers the administrative expenses related to cataloguing and previewing each film.
Registration for the pre-selection is considered valid and effective when the candidate has fulfilled the rules and requirements of the competition, when the screener link has been uploaded, when the entry form with all the required information has been correctly filled in and when the registration fee has been paid.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. Submissions not complying with the submission fee payment will not be considered. Submissions fees are not refundable.
No film will be taken in consideration for preselection prior to the submission’s fee receipt.
To proceed with payment: Entry fee Italian Contest – Entry fee International Contest.
Selected films
The selection of documentaries is carried out by the Festival Directors, whose decisions are final and indisputable.
The Directors are not required to provide feedback or comments on submitted films, either to the applicant or any other representative of the work.
Once the official invitation is accepted by the participant, the documentary cannot be withdrawn from the official program.
Decisions regarding programming — such as the placement of films in specific categories/sections, screening times, and venues — are made by the Festival Directors. These decisions are final and non-negotiable.
Online Streaming on MYmovies
The selected documentaries will also be available for online viewing on the MYmovies platform, accessible to a registered audience in Italy, with a maximum of 500 viewers per title. Each documentary will be available on-demand from September 14 to September 21, 2025.
The Festival will publish on its website a catalogue featuring the selected films.
For all selected documentaries, any form of promotion following the official program announcement must indicate participation in the 11th Visioni dal Mondo International Documentary Festival using the official logo provided by the Festival’s Programming Office. Active participation in this promotional effort is required from the rights holders of the selected film.
Producers and distributors of documentaries that will be presented at Visioni dal Mondo must ensure that the Festival’s official logo is included in all promotional materials (including posters, trailers, social media posts, and web materials) as well as in the screening copy of the film. If the film wins an award, the mention of the prize must also be included, following the official graphic guidelines provided by the Festival’s Programming Office.
Required Materials for Selected Films (Theatrical Screenings)
The rights holders of selected films must submit the following documentation within five days of confirming their selection. This documentation is necessary for preparing the Festival materials (catalogue, website, social media, promotions, and screenings):
Submission by Post or Courier (Printed Format):
VISIONI DAL MONDO
Programming Office
c/o Frankie Show Biz s.r.l.
Via Privata Maria Teresa 11, 20123 Milan, Italy
Digital Submission via Email:
- Italian Contest: italiancontest@visionidalmondo.it
- International Contest: internationalcontest@visionidalmondo.it
ACCEPTED SCREENING FORMATS
Italian Feature-Length Contest and Italian New Talent Contest
Main Format
- File Type: .mp4 or .mov
- Codec: H.264
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- Bitrate: Variable, 20-30 Mbps
- Audio: Stereo AAC/MP4, 48000 Hz
Backup Format:
- File Type: .mp4 or .mov
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- Bitrate: Variable, max 10 Mbps
- Audio: Stereo AAC/MP4, 48000 Hz
Selected documentaries must submit HD files or copies in one of the above formats no later than July 20, 2025, either via link or physical media. Detailed instructions will be provided by the Programming Office. A backup copy will remain in the Festival archive for non-commercial use.
Starting from September 15, 2025, filmmakers may collect their screening copies. Shipping costs (to and from the Festival) are the responsibility of the applicants, unless otherwise agreed with the Programming Office.
International Contest
Main Format
- File Type: DCP (Digital Cinema Package)
Backup Format:
- Codec: H.264
- Resolution: 1920×1080
- Bitrate: Variable, 20-30 Mbps
- Audio: Stereo AAC/MP4, 48000 Hz
Selected documentaries must submit DCP files or copies in one of the above formats no later than July 20, 2025, either via link or physical media. Detailed instructions will be provided by the Programming Office. A backup copy will remain in the Festival archive for non-commercial use.
Shipping Instructions for Non-EU Countries
For shipments from outside the European Union, the following guidelines must be followed:
- Pro forma invoice should state a value of no more than €10.
- The following details must be clearly indicated on the shipping documentation:
- Sender’s Name
- Film Title
- Running Time
- Frankie Show Biz VAT Number: 09088490967
Visioni dal Mondo and Frankie Show Biz s.r.l. are not responsible for damages to hard drives caused by defective packaging.
Starting from September 15, 2025, filmmakers may collect their screening copies. Shipping costs (to and from the Festival) are the responsibility of the applicants, unless otherwise agreed with the Programming Office.
Festival Online (MYmovies Platform)
All titles from both the Italian and International Contests can be made available for online streaming on the MYmovies platform, subject to an agreement with the rights holders.
The documentaries will be accessible to registered users in Italy, with a maximum limit of 500 views per title. Each title will be available for on-demand streaming from September 14 to September 21, 2025.
Materials Required for Online Screening:
- Resolution: 1920×1080 or 1280×720
- Frame Rate: 25 fps
- Codec: H.264
- Wrapper: .mp4
- Bitrate: 4-16 Mbps (VBR, 2-pass export)
Files must be submitted according to these technical specifications to ensure optimal viewing experience on the MYmovies platform.
General rules
The official rules and regulations are provided in both Italian and English. In case of any interpretative issues, the Italian version shall prevail.
The Festival is not liable for intangible losses incurred by directors, producers, or distributors due to technical issues during screenings.
In case of loss or damage to a copy, the Festival’s responsibility is limited to the cost of reprinting the copy according to current rates in Italy.
It is the responsibility of producers, distributors, or any other submitting parties to ensure that they are legally authorized to submit the film to the Festival. By submitting a film to the selection process, the applicant declares that they hold all copyrights and intellectual property rights related to the film, including the rights to any copyrighted materials featured in the film.
The Festival will not be held responsible for any unauthorized inclusion of copyrighted material within or associated with the submitted film.
The Festival reserves the right to disqualify any film containing unauthorized copyrighted material.
Submission of a film to the Festival implies the unconditional acceptance of the present rules and regulations.
Use of Materials by the Festival
After a documentary has been selected, the Festival is entitled to:
- Use up to five minutes of the documentary for promotional purposes on all platforms, including online.
- Use all promotional materials related to the documentary to promote the Festival.
- Keep a copy of the documentary in its non-commercial archive for educational purposes.
The Festival Management is the only entity authorized to make decisions regarding any issues not covered by these rules.
In case of any dispute, the Court of Milan will have jurisdiction.
VISIONI DAL MONDO
c/o Frankie Show Biz srl
legal address: Via Volturno, 47 – 20159 Milano
operative branch: Via Privata Maria Teresa 11 – 20123 Milano
www.visionidalmondo.it
e-mail: info@visionidalmondo.it
Hospitality
The Festival offers free hotel accommodation for the director of each selected documentary. The tourist tax of €4 per night is not covered by the Festival and must be paid directly by the guest. The hospitality is valid for one person (the director), for one or two nights, at the hotel partnered with the Festival. If the documentary has two or more directors, the Festival Management reserves the right to define the accommodation arrangements after the selection.
Upon selection, the Festival will provide detailed information regarding the accommodation arrangements.